How to Rock a Tomboy
by arillovesyou22
Summary: Full summery inside Stevie can't control her feelings around Justin Cole. Her minor crush is altering to a swift passion. But when Zander notices Stevie's affection to Justin, he'll do everything it takes to keep her safe.
1. Princess in the tales

**I don't own How to Rock in any shape or form. All rights go to Nickelodeon. **

**My first attempt on Zevie. I've recently started watching the series and loved the couple.**

**Rated T for a reason. You've been warned. **

**So, enjoy:**

How to Rock a Tomboy

Stevie can't control her feelings around Justin Cole. Her minor crush is altering to a swift passion. But when Zander notices Stevie's affection to Justin, he'll do everything it takes to keep her safe. But what if Justin is harming Stevie and asserting her against her morals? Will Stevie finally get a grasp of reality and stop living in denial? Or will she push Gravity 5 away to be with the one she's strictly adored?

Chapter 1: Princess in the tales

There he was. The most stunning boy that ever grabbed a gasp of existence was sitting in front of her. The back of his neckline was shaven to faultlessness, conferenced to the ending of his hair immaculately. For some inexplicable reason, the discussion of supplementary lines and what not hadn't caught her attention nor her interest. The monotone geometry teacher blabbed about the notes scribbled messily onto the blackboard, the one's she's already written down, yet toned his slaughterer voice out.

Stevie, however, knew she shouldn't criticize too much. What, with her grades slipping through her fingertips, she should have probably be taking the information to study for later.

Deciding against it, the chestnut haired girl rested her elbow on the rough desk, relaxing her hand on her palm, she gawked at the back of Justin Cole's striking head. His hair was masked to precision. She could picture his sunny, avocado shaded, (_much like a grassy meadow_, she thinks) eyes scan over the notes with either misunderstanding, or inattentiveness. She couldn't quiet decided.

Stevie

I gawked at the back of his cranium as he sat there wilting in his seat, perceptibly not paying courtesy to a distinct word the teacher was comprehending. With an uninterested sigh, he traversed his arms over his chest while turning his head to talk to his friend, Bobby, whom was sitting to his left.

Bobby was new-… ish. He was much like Justin, in a way. He was rich, but not as wealthy as Justin. He was _cute._ But nothing likened to the blonde chatting beside him.

I only caught on half of the discussion, "I heard Shelby Cotton's single now. You thinkin' about hitting that?" asked Bobby, sneering.

I nearly grimaced, had I not been behind Justin. I look down at my notes, hiding the obvious fact of eavesdropping. I scribble in my entire o's in the extended length of notes I took previously. I inched in my seat a bit closer to the desk, listening carefully, but not too noticeably.

"Nah. I'm kind of crushing on someone else," he shrugs.

I look up from my spiral; nonetheless my skull is still casted downwards. My eyes travel to Justin's back. His teal shirt looks so soft; I bite my lip from feeling it.

He chuckles silently, yet still a bit nastily "who? Dude you've liked Shelby Marcus for over a week."

I raise my brows, and look back down at my notes.

_An entire week, huh, must be a new record?_

He shifts in his seat, "you don't know her… She's in this new band," he shrugs, and I can feel my throat tighten because for some senseless motive all I can think about is his judgments seeing me. "She's cool."

"Invite her to my party this weekend," he chuckles half- heartedly, "so you can finally get it in."

My hands abruptly shiver pugnaciously. I look at my palms, confused. _What was happening to me?_ I've never had it this bad for a boy I've liked in my life. My hormones were on high alert and all I wanted was to kiss Justin Cole hard on his lips. _Is that so much to ask?_

Justin sighs and leans back in his seat. I can smell his Hugo Boss cologne and nearly die of amorousness. "I doubt she'd go for it. She and her friends are pretty close… I'd have to invite all of them."

"Dude, whoever it is, she must be hot. Invite her friends, maybe I can be part of the action with her friends." He wiggles his eyebrows and I'm suddenly nauseated by Bobby Gondolas.

"I doubt it," is all he says.

How to Rock

I cussed below my breath at the mass of iron standing before me. I couldn't express how I was repugnance towards my locker. I swear it can be such an agony in the ass occasionally trying to get the thing to open. I don't worry too much, for lunch is right around the corner, but I _was_ anxious that all the decent lunch would be selected over, and the rejects would be on my tray.

I yank on my hair after attempting the combination for nearly the tenth time. I grew irritated and instigated myself to kick pugnaciously at it. Not that it would actually do anything of course, except to my peers hiking by to give me disordered expressions as if I having some kind of a mental breakdown. Not that I actually took an interest in what they thought towards me.

After about a minute or so of simply banging on the thing, I gave up and scowled at it, sighing and gripping my bag tighter underneath my fingernails.

"Why won't you open?" I mutter towards myself.

"Having trouble?" An entertained speech questioned from behind me.

Female. Preppy, disordered, welcoming yet still filled with laughter haunted her voice that could have only belonged to:

Kacey Simon.

I turned around to gaze at my intruder and originated out that my forecast was precise. Kacey is one of my neighboring friends at school. Sad, I distinguish, but it's a fact. The majority of the kids in school doesn't truly care to speak to me or even recognize that I am there. I presume it's since I wasn't a traditional preppy girl with a high toned shrill speech like all the other girls here at Brewster High. The way the greatest amount of the student body saw it was that if you weren't like them, than you were categorized as tedious and nonentity, no one will famine to chat to you

I frown, "It's my stupid locker. All it's useful for is to get stuck," I turn my heels and sigh when I'm faced with the blue melted that has yet to open, "and to make me furious."

Kacey chuckles inwardly, and walks past me towards my locker. She peers over her shoulder and with a toothy grin she replies, "I got this."

She's wearing a strapless red dress that ends at her high thigh. If I could count on my hand on how many guys checked her out, wolf hooted at her, winked, gave her their phone number, or asked her out, I would have grown a total of two hands and three fingers. Not counting the two I already own.

Kacey 's main goal was to get the attention of the Drew Henderson. He was on the basketball team and, last year, took the team to state. I thought the very thought of Kacey's plan was preposterous and a bit desperate. She requested me over yesterday night, going through each outfit in her closet to try to magnet some attention. I voiced to her 'yes' to all the ones she tried on while flipping through a magazine I could find.

Kacey soon caught on that I wasn't too absorbed and expressed to me that she'd go to the mall later, while I was already a step out the door, and on my way home.

Kacey gave it two firm strikes with her fist producing it to open with ease. "Tad da!" she sings, stepping out the way and showing the locker off as if it she were an assistant for a magician. She might as well be, because on some days I couldn't even get the combination lock to twirl.

I gaped at her work, and took a step towards my locker. "How did you-?"

"When I left the perfs they kicked me out of their locker zone. I got a new one and it could possibly be the worst in the school." She rolls her eyes dramatically, "So I pretty much know how to open them now- well, with Kevin's help." She shrugs.

"Locker zone?" I question, eyeing her.

She shrugs, "it was on the corner. The janitors were bribed to paint it pink," she raises her brows indicating that the perfs were hyped. I simply mouth 'wow' and grab my chemistry book while flinging my geometry book inside. I close it, and strut with Kacie in the direction of the lunch area. "So…" she elbows me in my ribs.

I raise my brows, "so?"

She huffs and rolls her eyes, "did you get the invite to Bobby's party?"

I stop in my tracks and glare at her. "Why, did you?"

She nods and pulls out, surly enough, a green envelope. She waved it in the air, "yeah."

I frowned. "No."

"…oh," she looks down and seats the note back into her purse. She shrugs, "I couldn't go anyway." She begins walking. I follow, "my mom had a…" she considers of an explanation and I simply give her a look of disapproval. "Um… a… family night, yeah." She chuckles anxiously, "we have them every Saturday night." She waves off, as if I were previously supposed to distinguish the facts.

"What about Justin's party?" I ask, crossing my arms over my chest, raising my brows.

She eyes me, "what about it?" she says apprehensively.

I grin, knowing I wedged her in a angle. "It was on a Saturday night, Kacey."

She snaps her fingers, "oh yeah. You know my mom was out of town so-"

"Kacey spare me the sob story and tell me upfront. Do you want to go to Bobby's party or not?"

She reasons it over. Blinking several times, then pouting to herself, then sighing, then drumming her jaw with her bloodshot fingernails. We arrive to the lunchroom, and to my displeasure with all the enchanting burrito's bowed to just emotionless beans, tough tortilla enfolded like a taco, and slushy cheese that I wonder is even edible.

Once our seats are taken, Kacey scratches her head before speaking, "I would _like_ to go… but Stevie, you're my best friend and I would rather go to the fair than be at Bobby's party."

"Bobby's having a party?" Kevin asks, scanning the cafeteria as if he were sitting close by.

Kacey sighs, "none of you got invited?"

"The last party, besides Justin's, I got invited to was Chandler Spencer's birthday party at the roller-skating rink," replies Nelson with a hair flip.

Kacey shrugs, "that's not so bad."

"I was in fourth grade, and Chase Fisher threw up in my hair," he says pointing to the top of his hair with a revolted expression on his expression.

Kacey grimaces, "eeeh," she voices. "Okay, so the fair it is?" she claps her hands together.

"Wait, hold on. I got invited to Bobby's party," Zander pipes up, shrugging.

"You?" Kevin asks.

He raises his brows, "don't tint yourself. I have a social life outside of Gravity 5-" he's cut off by their laughter.

"Who, Andy?" Kevin asks while chuckling.

He glares, "ha-ha-ha, drummer boy's got jokes," Zander replies sarcastically. He rolls his eyes. "Seriously," he grins, "I'm thinkin' about asking Shelby."

My ears perk up and I glance at Zander, "Cotton?" He shoots me a muddled look, and I roll my eyes, "Shelby Cotton?"

He nods, "yeah?" he stretches the central of his term.

I nod, sensing my eyes growing heavier. Either I needed to rest my eyes, or I had the unexpected erg to… cry.

It was peculiar actually. I wasn't the envious type, especially towards an adolescent that the entire boy population adored. Particularly one Zander relished.

"What?" he asks.

I look up at him and almost blush. I must have looked so stupid, "Nothing."

He blinks, but doesn't question it. "Hey guys," the voice startles me. I jump slightly, and turn in my seat to see Justin Cole grinning from ear to ear.

Believe me when I tell you, Justing Cole _is _the hottest guy to have ever walked the face of the earth. I swear he is unconditionally just stunning. He's tall, perhaps only an inch or two diminutive of a foot taller than I am. He has dirty blond hair that looks far better up close than across the lunch room. He owns stunning avocado shaded eyes that are so incredibly detailed it's as if you were being hypnotized by his very senses.

One thing I've always noticed after gawking at him all the time was that he usually wore a gray or short sleeved shirt that's collar is cut into a deep 'v' showing off his collar bone. Along with that, today, he wore a teal faded shirt that looks so loose on him it was as if ironed it two periods ago, alongside with baggy black pants with a leather belt. Numerous leather wristbands were on his right wrist, while a watch was placed on his left.

I blinked, reddened, and twisted back into my seat and ducked my head. My stomach roils, and I feel as if I were going to throw up all over my half folded, taciturn, solid, barely edible burrito.

"I just wanted to ask if you guys were going to Bobby's party?" he asks, and I sense even viler.

Kacey sighs, "no. I'm not leaving my friends out." She shrugs, "if they can't come, I'm not going."

Kevin smiles warmly at her, "thanks Kacey. You're a good friend."

"That's too bad… Bobby told me I could invite some cool people and I was thinking about asking you guys."

I was out of words. Was Justin really asking _us _to _Bobby's_ party? Am I dreaming? In what parallel universe is this happening in?

"Well, no need getting me an invitation, Justin," Zander stands and flashes the card, fanning himself off while placing his hand on Justin's shoulder and staring off in the distance. I glance back, but quickly look away when Justin's meets my eyes. "I was already invited," Zander boasts.

Justin smirks, "noted."

Zander simply blinks, and sits back down beside Stevie. "So, what do you say? Three tickets to Bobby's party?" he asks.

Kacey looks at Kevin, and Kevin shrugs. "It could be fun. Your party was cool," he nods towards Justin. "So I guess I could swing by."

"I don't know…" Nelson looks down, twirling his thumbs. "Will… Grace be there?"

Justin shrugs, "yeah I guess-"

"S-sure. I mean," Nelson squeals. He quickly clears his throat, stiffens and raises his chest, and flips his hair. His voice abruptly drops when he says slickly, "I guess I could stop by for a little while."

Justin chuckles, "alright."

It's then I feel the two bites of my burrito rise in my throat. I felt awful. My migraine wasn't helping the situation, and Justin Cole was standing about five inches away from my back. "How 'bout you, Stevie?" he says sweetly.

My name in his mouth. It felt so right. The way he said with such ease. The way his tone brightened at my name. Now I really needed to get sick.

I turned and beamed at him, pretending that I wasn't paying attention to a expression that had been said. "What?" I say, trying my toughest to look as attractive as I perchance could. I flutter my mascaraed eyelashes, trying to imitate Molly.

_What is this? Changing myself to be liked by a boy? To try and be like Molly?_

He smiles at me, looking down. "Would you like to be my date at Bobby's Gonzales' part this Saturday night?"

I wanted to throw up: to empty my stomach and my mind. I was a nobody. I was what Molly and Grace labeled me, a loser. Next to Kacey Simon, I was even more invisible than I ever was before Gravity 5 or even before Gravity 4. I've never allowed their side comments to get to me, until now. _Justin Cole asked me on a date. _

I chewed on this statement. It wasn't like what Chandler Santos did last year, interjecting the pre-lunch announcements saying, "Good morning students and staff. This is Chandler Santos asking Carly Bishop a very essential question. Will you go to Prom with me?" Or anything close to a cheesy announcement, such as spreading three cupcakes out and asking me out.

I read about this, occasionally, and it's been in nearly every idealistic flick I've ever seen. There are no sorrows or heartbreaks, and you both finish up lying in an outsized arena of flowers you love because he remembers every word you say. Or the cheerful melody rolls in while you're kissing and the credit scrolls in.

I was not having an average Cinderella/ love story. I refused it. Sure, the dreamy, fluffy, romantic shit makes my heart wish it were me besides Shelby Cotton. That I was the one with all the attention and with all the beauty. Not worrying about anything except which date to accept.

"Stevie!" I hear Kacey spat, her eyes extensive, and her face firm.

I swallowed and faced Justin, "S-sure…" I say, flushed.

He grins, "great. I'll give your invitations tomorrow." He winks, and my stomach won't hold back my three bites of my unfolded burrito any longer. He turns and stalks off. I watch him leave, my palms shaking, my throat tightening, and my stomach churning.

He stops in his tracks, and I suddenly reason the vilest. That he'll turn around, and reject me. Saying, "You know what? I can't make it." Or, "I just realized… I had a... thing," and make an excuses dangerously similar to Kacey's.

In its place, he turns near me, and stalks towards us. "I'm…" he sighs, and smirks, "really glade you said yes."

I give a feeble grin, and he permissions himself at the table before turning his heels. I turn around, and nearly groan at my band mate's expressions.

"_Sure Justin Cole. I would looooooooove to go to Bobby's party with you-" _Starts Nelson. I sense my jaw clinch, and I know my endurance with these two were already on a reedy line.

"_So we can make out. Oh yeah, Justin!" _Kevin interrupts, twirling his hips in his seat, "_you're so sexy and hot!"_

Nelson chuckles, "Heh- yeah…_ Ohh Justin, I just want to-"_

I glare, "I will make you chock on afterlife if you don't shut it," I utter.

They stop.

"Stevie!" Kacey screeches, flapping her hands to fan herself off, "I can't believe Justin Cole asked you out! Oh my god, we're going shopping after school."

I blink, "last time I went shopping with you, I made a fool out of myself in front of him," I declare, "I'm not letting you mesmerize me into being someone else any more Kacey," I say sternly and solemnly.

She sighs, "Fine. But I swear a blue strapless dr-"

"No," I shoot at her, rolling my eyes.

"Alright, alright. No need to tell me twice, I can take a hint."

I nod, "good."

It's silent. "… Can't I just do your makeup-?"

"Kacey."

"Right…"

**Review please.**

**Bear with me, Zevie will come. **


	2. Secret Message

**I don't own How to Rock in any shape or form. All rights go to Nickelodeon. **

**I want to show gratitude to my commentators and followers. It's truthfully an astonishing sensation to catch so much feedback. I was so inspired, and quickly got to work. **

**I hope I did not fail you all.**

**Rated T for a reason. You've been warned. **

**So, enjoy:**

**A bit of a filler but you know… they've gotta be written so… **

How to Rock a Tomboy

Stevie can't control her feelings around Justin Cole. Her minor crush is altering to a swift passion. But when Zander notices Stevie's affection to Justin, he'll do everything it takes to keep her safe. But what if Justin is harming Stevie and asserting her against her morals? Will Stevie finally get a grasp of reality and stop living in denial? Or will she push Gravity 5 away to be with the one she's strictly adored?

Chapter 2: Secret message

It pained him to watch her. She was gaping at him yet again, imagining about his tall figure, gnawing on her lip when the unexpected hormones scattered through her build, smiling to herself when thinking of his speech.

Zander hated it.

He loathed exactly how abundant she treasured him. Despised the quantity of attention he remained receiving. He detested that Justin Cole was thieving Stevie, one of his utmost best friends, away from him and all he could prepare to do was to watch.

Zander huffed and dropped his pencil. He didn't recognize any of the chemistry questions mocking his failure. The test was a major effect to his grade, and deteriorating it would mean a fail for the semester. But for some strange reason, his mind couldn't focus on the equation he was supposed to recognize but couldn't, it was focused on Stevie Baskara.

How she'd snap at him when he said the incorrect thing at the mistaken time. Or how she'd talk gravely about the perfs' peppiness and just how abundant she loathed them.

_Or about her eyes allaying up when the music instigates._

_Or the way her hair is draped up on tremendously blistering days in their band room and she's too pooped to do anything but sleep._

_About how her fingers plucked the dull strings on the bass._

_About how her lips would mouth Kacey's lyrics because she's in her zone._

_About how beautiful she looked. _

How to Rock

The lunch table hadn't been duller. It appeared as if everybody was having a dreadful diurnal, even the perfs. The horrendous Friday couldn't finish slower, and was worse? Bobby had been bragging about his party all day, and all of the teenagers could anticipate was being Saturday night's immense gathering.

It was so sluggish and exhausting, that Nelson had yet to yap about how he unlocked the "sacred sapphire blade with sharp blade beaks" and Kevin hadn't complained about the lunch ladies solid macaroni shells, with the frigid cheese applied sloppily yet.

Stevie clutched her tray and sat beside Nelson. For her, it felt as if she had been dragging one hundred pound bricks knotted at her ankles and if not her the week, gradually getting leisurelier. She instantly hunched in her seat and rested her eyes closed for a moment, sensing her head fall towards Nelson's shoulder. He didn't mind much. He, along with the rest of Gravity 5, knew Stevie as being a physical person.

If it weren't her tilting her head on one's shoulder because she's weary, she's sensing grief and misery, or she's simply blissful, it's her resting her hand on one's limb for no physical reason. If it hadn't been dropping her legs over one's own because the coffee table was too sore on her swollen ankles, it was her arranging her head in one's lap for the cushion was whichever too lenient, or way to firm.

They didn't mind. It was one of the possessions they treasured about her, and accepted about.

Kevin lets out a sigh. His elbow currently props his head up, and it felt as if his whole body was relying on his elbow. His eyes, much like Stevie's, had begun to fall. In which he let out a groan and complained:

"Ugggghh," he growls. "Can't this day _end_ already?"

Nelson, whose books had been scattered across the table, drops his pencil from extra studying before a major test the next period. "So… so tired," says Nelson. His eye twitches, and decently, he's too drained to flip his hair back and out of his eyes.

Stevie opens her eyes and leans off of Nelson, looking him in the eye. "Nelson… I think you should rest for a moment-" but she cuts herself short when Nelson's eyes drop and he slams his head against the cafeteria table. She fears if he was injured at first, but when she hears him snoring, she knows too well he's out of it.

"I just want to go home…" Kevin groans and whines. "You know, I have five classes with Bobby. And every single one of them he's been boasting about this party." He groans, "I wanna go so badly."

It's rather annoying, but Stevie's too drained and fatigued to snap a threat that his speech 'stretches her migraine, and she was about to split out his teeth if he didn't hush up.'

"So then-" Kacey halts her dialogue and peeks at Gravity 5. Stevie doesn't trouble herself to gaze behind her, because she caught Kacey gossip once she was down the hall, and Stevie was demanding to get a bit of shut eye at lunch. And she didn't need to turn about to distinguish Kacey had been communicating with Zander. One, had been she could scent his cologne a mile gone, and two, who else would Kacey Simon talk to besides them?

Stevie hears Kacey huff, and only assumes she'll try and _cheer _them up. She was right.

"… _What_ are you doing?" she asks, sitting beside Kevin. Her tray lay in front of her. A bright indigo juice bottle was filled to the top, with firm macaroni noodles and bitter cheese, and with, what looked like, a bruised apple, all relaxed luckily on her plate.

Zander had an identical platter, with a pear in its place of an apple and off brand crackers. His ukulele case is in his grasp, and keeps it close by when he sits.

Kevin peers his eyes open for a moment to look at Kacey, "sleeping…" he says bluntly, and matter- of- factly.

She glares at him, her eyes narrowing. "I can see that, Kevin…" she sighs, "come one guys_. Tomorrow's the day. _The day when Nelson learns to grow some courage and ask Grace to dance. Or, when Kevin flirts with that hot girl in a purple tank top. Zander probably making out with Shelby Cotton, and Stevie gawking at Justin Cole." she says as if trying to persuade us to be thrilled and chipper. "And when I finally go out with Drew…" she looks off into the distance, deep in thought. No one moved. She huffs and raises a brow, "come on, you're telling me you aren't excited at all?"

Kevin sits up, half awake, half asleep. He yawns out, "Oh we're excited," he pauses, waiting up until his yawn momentarily passes by, concluding his speech, "Too excited…."

Kacey looks at Kevin, who grunts, and takes once glance at Nelson and turns to Stevie. "Then… why so miserable?"

Stevie rubs her eyes, cursing herself in her head that she messes up her eye makeup. Kacey shakes her head at Stevie's search for a mirror in her bag, indicating nothing was wrong with her makeup. Stevie finally sighs and answers with:

"Because these dorks just want the day to end already and go to Bobby's party." Stevie grabs her fork, and begins pushing the noodles to one side of her bowl. Then towards the other side, repeating this process.

Kacey sighs dramatically, making Stevie glare up at her with a half- hearted smirk, before glancing back down at her wasteful food. "Are you sure you don't want me do your makeup?" she asks, altering the topic too rapidly. "I could pick out your eyeshadow…"

Stevie says modestly, "Kacey I would rather stick my head in a beehive." Her sarcasm sneaking up and slapping Kacey in the face sluggishly.

Kacey sulks, "Stevie, you know what your problem is?" she asks, inquisitively.

Stevie, a bit insulted and affronted, releases her fork and scowls up, "yes, Kacie. I do," she says irritably. Her broadmindedness and tolerance is absent, she's drowsy, and all she wants is to go home and take a three hour bubble bath with her music blocking out her uncertainties.

Kacey, however, doesn't heed and dialogues anyway, "You're afraid of Justin liking you…"

Stevie blinks.

"Afraid?" she chuckles callously.

Kacey nods, "that's right. And you know, know that I think about it, you're afraid to let anybody like you." Kacey answers, a bit harsher.

"Me? You're judging _me?_" Stevie chuckles and chunks her fork down into her bowl, "you know, we've been nothing but nice to you. We accepted you as a band, and as friends. And what, you come by and start telling us how to live, trying to change ourselves to make _you_ look good?"

"I'm just trying to _help._ You could have said something if you didn't want it." Kacey scowls.

Zander pipes up for the first time, "Guys, calm down. It's Friday, tomorrow we'll be refreshed and we can go to Bobby's party like friends," he explains.

Kevin sits up, "yeah let's not fight. Especially on a Friday," Kevin drops his shoulders from tensing up, and accidently bumping into Nelson, awakening him.

"What? What happened?" He asks, dazedly.

"Nothing, Nelson." Kevin clarifies. "Go back to sleep…"

"Mhmm," he stifles, trembling his eyes bolted while smashing his face back onto the desk, snoring a bit.

"Well he's out of it," Kevin declares.

Kacey beams, nodding. "You're right guys," she sighs, "Stevie I'm sorry."

Stevie blinks, reasons it over, and rolls her eyes. "Fine… I'm sorry too."

"That's the spirit," Zander speaks.

Stevie waits an instant before speaking, "And… I guess you _could_ pick my shoes," Stevie instantly, however, qualms her verdict when Kacey squeals. "But only shoes…" she points at her vigilantly.

Kacey nods, "Swear!"

Stevie grins and rests her cranium back on her elbow, concentrating on the macaroni and mingling them together. Maybe this day hadn't turned out so miserable after all?

How to Rock

The band room's scorching. The heat wave bowled in, and is presently boiling the five members of Gravity 5.

Kacey left to grab a water bottle from the vending machine, complaining about the maintenance at the school on her way out.

Zander robbed a breather outdoors, and was presently seducing a flirt with a girl that observed nobody comparable Kacey or Stevie. She was Goth; her eyeliner sketched her dazzling hazel eyes, but couldn't mask her ugly personality.

Kevin had complained about his bladder issue, and went to release it immediately. Almost stumbling on his drum set on his way out.

Leaving Stevie and Nelson unaccompanied in the searing band room.

Stevie sat on the sofa. Her hair tied up in a messy bun, currently falling down slowly, one hair strand at a time, while tuning her bass. Her legs idly were rested on the coffee table, knocking a pair of novels, music sheets, one of Kevin's chip bags and one of Zander's mirrors.

Nelson sighs and sits alongside her, nonetheless not excessively adjacent to touch, "here."

Stevie glanced her gaze towards Nelson, and grabs a notebook from his fingertips. She furs her brows, "what's this?" she asks, flipping the page open. The notebook was waning sapphire, and had crumpled sheets inside.

"I found it in the lunchroom," she shrugs, flipping his hair. "I opened it and saw your name so…" he trails off, nodding towards the spiral in her hand.

Stevie reads the first line of the journal, her eyes wide. "Nelson… this isn't mine." She looks up at him, and soon realizes how close they really were. His shoulder had touched hers. He hadn't destined to be so nearby to her, it had just occurred that way and found himself scooting closer towards her when giving her the spiral.

"Huh?" He asks, looking down towards it. She guises left from his face and glares back down at it.

"Nelson, why would I call myself," she looks down closely .Her face inches from the paper, as if the handwriting hadn't been legible, yet it had been, "a 'beautiful, incredible, girl?'" she asks.

Nelson flickers and stares over Stevie's shoulder from the locating on the loveseat. "That's weird… Maybe it has a name, or something?"

Stevie nods, flipping the pages. "Right…" _It must have…_

But the single name that was cited was Stevie Baskara…

'_Stevie Baskara is lovely. She just can't see it. Stevie Baskara is talented, she's just masked with insecurity. Stevie Baskera is the one for me; she just doesn't notice me with him around.'_

Nelson elevations his brows at the writing, "looks like you got a secret admirer, Stevie." He nods, "first Justin now this, you're on a roll, my friend." He nudges her with his elbow in her rib cage flippantly, his smirk toothy and enormous. His spirited appearance comprising nothing but friskiness and liveliness, but she perceived over it and receipted it lightly.

Stevie flips the sheet and remains reading, mumbling a dejected, "Yeah…" beneath her inhalation that was scarcely perceptible. "Sure am."

'_I love her.'_

'_She hates me.'_

'_She's perfect.'_

'_I'm so nervous around her.'_

Stevie's mind is running. _Justin…_? It couldn't be his… Stevie closes the spiral and positions it in her carrier, consecutively running her palm over her hair humbly thinking.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Nelson asks.

She looks at him, "keeping it."

He blinks, "it's not yours."

"I don't know whose it is, Nelson. And by reading this, apparently they don't want me to know…" Stevie looks down at her fingers, they're unstable yet again.

"Stevie, you should talk to Kacey, or at least ask her. She's good at figuring out who likes who and frankly, the only guy I know that likes you is Justin…" he says bluntly

Stevie gives him a rigid scowl, "thanks Nelson," she says sarcastically.

"Well, we like you. Y-you're nonchalant… Yeah… b-but I'm not good with…" he clears his throat apprehensively, "seeing who likes… _others_?" He tries, as if asking her instead of telling him.

Stevie groans and thrusts herself off the couch, "Nelson, don't tell anyone about this. It's between you and me got it?" Stevie lurks, aiming at him intimidating,

Nelson stands, flipping his hair from his face, "swear."

She stretches him a sincere grin. He surely was a true friend. "Thank you…"

"Onnnnn one condition…" he peeps, as if vigilantly she'd say no and smash him upside his head.

Stevie sighs. "So close…" she murmurs, shaking her head. She puts her hands on her hips, irritably waiting on his circumstance, "alright what is it Nelson?" asks Stevie.

"You have to ask Grace to… to dance with me tomorrow…" he says timidly. And for a instant, Stevie finds it… charming.

Stevie frowns. Because Nelson's a unique dude, she can't fib. He's one of the most underrated individuals in Gravity 5, alongside Kevin. He's not that 'one kid who ran away from his own farts' or the 'kid who plays way too much video games.' He wasn't classified under being 'Gravity 5's weird genius keyboard entertainer with the extensive hair' or 'Kacey Simon's bizarre friend'. He was Nelson Baxter: a sci- fi loving, tech- savvy, socially awkward, gamer who just so happens to be in Gravity 5, play piano, and has geek friends that alliance with him.

"Nelson, I think she'll be more impressed if you did it…" Stevie says candidly, because even though Nelson can express deprive of apprehension or anxiety about the ladies when it comes to Gravity 5, when he actually voices to one, his language becomes knotted and his emotions starts pounding before his eyes.

He flushes, and Stevie regrets having the discussion. "I can't…"

She smiles at him despondently, a vision infrequent to Nelson, "sure I will…" she says.

He expressions up at her skeptically, "really?"

"Swear," she copies him, grinning. "Bye Nelson, I'll text you later." Stevie deliberately departures the gangs area, short of waiting on Kevin from his bathroom break, Kacey from her water needs, and Zander from his flirtatious actions.

After stuffing her bass prudently, Stevie headed to her car, just entering her hallway while Nelson's grin had been burned in the back of Stevie's head when she had almost cascades onto Zander.

His torso crashes against her own, and she's tumbling back slightly. Gradually misplacing her balance.

"Whoa, there," he places his hands on either side of her arms, equipped and read to clasp her if she would have toppled backwards. "Slow down flash," he gives her a toothy smirk and winks, "what's the rush?" He drops his hands, stabbing them in his back pocket hastily.

Stevie sighs, "just want to go home…" she says frankly, but not too gloomily. Just a 'eh, I'm okay' type of comeback once there's nothing ample to answer with, and you're all out of fresh options.

"No one's stoppin' you," he receipts a stage to his left, while Stevie walks past him. Nodding her thanks at him. She's just about outside when his voice stops her. "Wait Stevie," she shots to face him. "A-are you really going with… Justin. T-to the party, on Saterday."

His appearance expressed to Stevie he was envious. Since when did Stevie pre- judge? _Is liking Justin Cole spiraling me into an compulsive, excessively concerned freak? _Stevie fears. She sighs, because with the thoughts comparable to theses can pressure her out as it wasn't _her_. This wasn't Stevie Baskara.

_But he was Zander, he's never been jealous in a day of his life. 'I wonder how that feels...' _She thinks. But observing back over him, all she perceives is uneasiness. As if Justin was to offended her, or damage her in some way.

Stevie blinks at him.

"Yeah I guess so. Why?" she questions, truly fascinated.

He gives a visibly insincere, feeble grin, "no reason. I'll see you there."

She nods, still hesitant his bluff, "goodnight Zander."

"Goodnight Stevie."

**I apologize for the lack of fluff. It has to build up to it, yeah?**

**(I apologize if I misspelled any names)**

**Special thanks to **_**callmecourt**_** for the exquisite review. It's justly gratifying to hear that from you, so I thank you. However I disagree. The talent on this archive alone is overwhelming, and if anyone has written or had helped write a story on here, you're genius and I bow to you! **

**To**_**: Toolazytosignin**_**, thank you, my first reviewer. I appreciate the criticism, and did look over it again. Ta ta, and thank you!**

_**Catherine**_**: Thank you so much! I will try to add a bit of Stevie and Zander fluff here and there, but it will possibly progress through the story. Thank you so much for the review.**

**To **_**LunarEclipse22428**_**: for succumbing my story on your favorite list, thank you so much, it's inspiring to know you read it, and like it. Here's the update. I'm sorry, updates might not be so rapid for I have testing all week, and am studying so hard right now. Thank you so much, again!**

_**Zevieshipper**_**: Thank you, anon! It's so inspiring to know you like it. Zevie will "kick in" sooner or later. Thank you for being so patient and thank you for the comment.**

_**MakingItShine**_**: you reviewed both my, How to Rock story, and my Victorious story, so I double thank you! (Thank you!) Thank you for the favorite, I hope I won't let you down with this. Giggles, Zevie's coming, and, OMG! *hides behind desk***

_**Some girl lazy to log in**_**: Thank you! I'll update as fast as I can, thank you for reading it! And thank you for taking the time to review, it truly inspires me.**

_**Pr3ttyjas**_**: Thank you for following my story! I'm so appreciative for it!**

_**You've got a friend in me: **_**Thank you! I'm so glad to have your comment. You're Zevie stories are so cute, and I'm truly inspired. Thank you for adding my story on your favorites list, as well.**

_**Wolfgangninja2: **_** Thank you for adding my story to your favorite list. I'm so cheerful you're relishing it so far!**

_**Lafalot22: **_**Thank you! It's fun to write. And I will continue to write no matter what, you have my word. Thank you for adding my story on your favorites, as well!**

_**SimplyOC- Anonymous: **_**for adding my story on your favorites list, I thank you! It's wonderful to know you're reading and liking it!**

_**XxMockingjay'sliveineveryoneXx: **_**Thank you for following my story, and myself! EEPP! And for the review! I hope you love this one too?**

**Thank you to everyone who read it and reviewed! **

**Next chapter won't be up until later. Maybe later today, maybe tomorrow, or maybe next week. *shrugs* who knows? Most likely before Friday, I'm going to a Rangers game on Friday, Sectional leader tryout on Saturday, and my dad's house on Sunday… Testing all week… yea… fun…**

**Oh boy…**


	3. Fix You

**I think I've written this chapter about… hmm… three or four times? All with different ideas, until I finally gave up and decided yet ANOTHER filler will have to happen.**

**Sorry loves.**

**Written in Nelson's perspective, whoop, whoop! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own How to Rock, any characters, or any rights towards How to Rock. All privileges go to their respectful owners of Nickelodeon. How I wish to own the rights…**

**Enjoy my little flower petals:**

Nelson

I was flabbergasted that the night custodian let me inside. The band room hadn't been touched since Friday before rehearsal, when Stevie decided to storm off without a single pluck on her bass, lacking Kacey rocking the mic, Kevin getting groovy with the beat, Zander vocalizing with Kacey while winding the uke, and me pressing the keyboard to be perceived at the minimum level amount I was heard from.

It was dim and eerie. I've not once stayed at school so early, nevertheless on a Saturday. Kacey had directed out emergency texts to all of Gravity 5, clarifying how it was abruptly urgent we practiced at four in the morning.

I was the first in the band room, and relaxed on the chaotically untidy sofa. My eyes began to drop, and I established myself dozing off. All I required at that instant was a blanket and a pillow. My body demanded of it.

The door opening stilled my slumber, as my attention directly glided to the worse. I shriek, "robber!" while seizing the nearest article to guard myself through, that just so occurred to be Zander's guitar.

Why a thief would originate into a school, our band chamber nonetheless, at four in the morning was beyond me, and why I assumed of a thief in its place of Kacey, Zander, Kevin, or Stevie was puzzling to even myself.

Kacey's tickled expression made me blush. I gently placed the guitar back on the chair gently; Zander would have my head if I had a lone graze noticeable on it. I flip my hair and sigh in relief. "Oh thank god," I huff, "it's only you."

Kacey, watching a bit offended now, answers with: "Hey? Feelings," she says.

"Sorry! I thought you were a killer burglar," I state frankly, my body still trembling somewhat.

Kacey looks disordered, "At school?"

I sigh, "Hey, you never know," I shrug, "they could take some books." I point at her, openly-handing her an promising stare.

Kacey rolls her eyes, but a smirk is wearable. She chuckles out, "Yeah, I'm sure they're trying to take Mr. Duncan's Geometry books to learn how to do profs," Kacey puns, hiking towards her mic and rotating it on.

I shrug, "You never know. I saw on the news this one time; someone stole a whole box of candy from this lady." I nod at her, giving her an reassuring look.

She blinks, "Nelson…? Since when do you watch the news?"

I flush, "since they added that new hot anchor…" I speak in a 'duh' speech, yet motionlessly a bit humiliated.

She chuckles, and checks her cell phone. Grumbling, she peeks at me, "where is everybody? I said four, and it's," she looks down at her phone once more, "four ten!"

I raise my brows, "Kacey, it's Saturday." I shrug, "Kevin probably won't even get up until noon," I say meeting back down on the sofa. I hear Kacey's heels clap against the floorings and she struts to the back of the couch.

"Then why are you here?" she asks.

I blink. _Why _am _I here? _I think for a moment, "I don't know…" I say bluntly and tonelessly. She sighs and sits on the far right chair, "why are you so worried anyway? It's just a party, and every performance we do goes strangely well." I glance her way.

She stares at me before responding with: "It's not just another party, Nelson." She sighs, "It's the party of a lifetime." I almost roll my eyes at her melodramatic –ness. Kacey Simon, the beautiful, the popular, the _dramatic_… "The party that'll make us no longer single," she says strictly. "Just think about it Nelson: Grace could be yours," she rants on about Stevie and Justin, about herself and Drew, Kevin and some random girl he's remained currently talking about, and Zander and Shelby.

But for some reason, I do think about it. Grace, _mine_? Never. How many romance stories do you recognize that close up with the nerd and the hot chick? The loser who's too petrified to even discover a sentence to the girl with the golden curly hair and breath captivating eyes?

None.

Well, none that is genuinely real.

"Hello? Paging Nelson," Kacey snaps her fingers, "you with me now?" she asks, her brows high and her beam entertained and diverted. "You're thinking about Grace aren't you?" she asks, previously knowing the response.

"How did you know?" I ask.

"Hello!" she stands, "I'm Kacey Simon!" Her hands are fleetingly moving up and down somewhat, giving a peek to herself.

I blink at her, not amused. "And?"

She glares at me, "Nelson, seriously. This party will finally make us somebodies!" she huffs, "don't you want to hold Grace's hand? Don't you want to dance with her? To finally grow the nerve to ask her out?" she asks, crossing her arms over her torso.

I sigh, "I get it, Kacey… But let's face it, I'm no Justin Cole or Bobby Gonzales," I stand, gesturing with a shrug; "I'm not this super cool guy that can score with any girl I want."

Kacey takes a phase frontward, placing her palm on my shoulder, "Sure you are. Nelson, you're one of the greatest guys I've ever met."

"Then why is it when you were a perf, I was a loser in a loser band? Why did Molly and Grace look at me like I was some disgusting…?" I think, aggressively struggling for the correct word choice, "er…" I huff, "cockroach?"

She gives a confused look, and I huff. "Cockroach?" she asks, making a repulsed face.

I sigh, my shoulders falling with despair, "you know what I mean," I say.

She nods, "right…" she shakes her head, and her attitude varies rapid. "Nelson, I was a different person. You have to believe me. I was a monster who saw everyone else as a dork and an underdog, and I'm sorry. You aren't a loser, you're a great guy and if Grace can't see that then she's missing out." Kacey assures while openhandedly giving me a remorseful expression.

The door screeches open, and for some bizarre reason, Kacey's gripping an umbrella and I'm holding Zander's guitar high again, while we shriek in harmony: "robber!" because the night's dimness is intensely overriding and the only light source was from outside at the moment in the unexpected abrupt strikingly uncharacteristic lighting. It was then that I comprehended it began raining.

"Is that my guitar?"

And abruptly, I'm a bit more horrified from the speech than the _intruder._ I lower the guitar, apprehending the burglar wasn't a hazardous threat to any further extent, but perhaps he had been from his tone. Zander derived in, glaring at me.

I chortle anxiously, "In my defense, I thought you were a robber," I guard, placing the guitar back against the chair.

As Zander phases in, prepared to slay, Kevin steps in as well. Both saturated and drenched with perception. "You know," Kevin says, his eyes virtually closed, "I _was_ having a really great dream." he drags to his feet into the band room.

Kacey grimaces, and pitches the umbrella on the couch, running up to Zander and Kevin both. "No, no, no. You are not coming in here all wet," she says, shooing them out.

"I'm not going back out there. Thunder scares me," Kevin says enfolding himself. As if on indication, a flamboyant, daring, strike of rumbling thunder strikes, and Kevin scuffles to get back inside, "let me in, let me in, let me in!" he shrieks.

Kacey matches him back, aggressing him back out. "Not until you dry off."

"How are we supposed to dry off in the rain?" Zander asks.

Kacey sighs, "Do I have to do everything?" she wails. Marching away from the two and hobbling through a drawer, Kacey lugged out some clothing. She lets them inside, but only a foot away from the door, making sure they don't immerse up the whole band room, "here. Put this on."

She turns her heels and walks towards her microphone again, drumming it with her index finger. Indisputably making sure it functioned suitably. Zander and Kevin shoot her mystified looks, not moving a muscle.

She sprouts her glare their way, "what's the matter?"

"I'm not going to change in front of you," Kevin says, rubbing the back of his collar clumsily.

Kacey scoffs, "so we're in middle school now?" Kacey asks, stalking off towards the hallway doors connected to the band room, "fine," she says before she exits, "but I'm coming back in five minutes." She abruptly shudders, watching towards the distance, "this school's creepy at night." She departures, closing the door behind her.

Zander stands on the steps, giving him a bit additional room to get changed. I watch fleetingly, before noting it was ungainly and sit while grabbing my cell phone out. It was four fifteen, and only one more Gravity 5 member was absent.

Before I knew it, Zander's hand smacked me upside the head from behind. He strolled around the couch and cuddled his guitar in his limbs while meeting alongside me. I held my cranium with one hand, fixing my hair with the other.

"Hey, watch the hair;" I warn lightheartedly, "it takes too long to be messed with."

He glares at me, not amused entirely, "Watch the guitar," he plucks a chord, "she did nothing to you."

I roll my eyes. Zander's continuously recognized for being too vividly defensive for his possessions. His mirror, his ukulele, his guitar, and his looks where manly his focus. "I thought you were a burglar!" I defend once more.

Kevin sits on a chair, relaxing his feet on the coffee table. I almost snicker at his apparel. He didn't seem to either mind, or take notice for his eyes had been locked to a close. He wore relatively a bit more hipster than his flavor, something he'd trash if he was caught wearing.

"Burglar? Really?" Zander asks, placing his guitar in his lap as if he were about to begin performing. He wore something approximately comparable, but it was something Zander frequently dresses in. I furrowed my brows, _why did Zander have extra cloths at school? _I was precipitously apprehended it was Zander, his fashion operated for him.

Kevin suddenly opens his eyes, yawning. "You know, I saw on the news someone who broke into this ladies house just to steal a box of candy."

I gape, "I saw that too!" I turn towards him.

Kevin scooted up in his seat, suddenly interested, "with the hot anchor lady?" he asks, grinning.

I nod, "I knew you were my best friend for a reason," I say, snapping my fingers.

He acts as if he were chocked up, "bring it in, buddy." We embrace in a hug.

Zander exhales loudly, "does my hair look bad?" He asks. I part and gaze at him. His hand-held mirror was in his palm, and he was consecutively running through his wet hair wrathfully.

"Kacey!"

The door unlocks yet again, and before I can clutch Zander's guitar to guard myself, I note it's Stevie, and nothing was to fear. I then took a grasp at her expression, and decided that perhaps there was.

She glares at me, her hair dripping wet, "where is she?" Her enraged state told me sufficient she was searching for Kacey.

I gulp, "S-she left-"

"Are you guys one yet because we really do need to-" Kacey enters, and stops when she sees Stevie, "Hey Steve. Get set up, you're twenty minutes late, and we really need this rehearsal." Kacey laughs to herself, her fingers drumming her phone in a text.

_Who could she be possibly be texting at four in the morning?_

Stevie huffs, "Why did I wake up at four in the morning with over fifteen emergency texts?"

"Because we need to rehearse," she says in an apparent tone, restating herself.

Stevie glares, "At four in the morning? Can it wait until noon?"

Kacey raises her brows, "no! It's our first time playing in front of Drew-?"

Steveie interrupts, "I knew it! I knew this was somehow all about you," she hisses. "You just can't get over yourself can you?"

Kacey gasps, "I'm not having this fight with you."

Stevie glares, "too bad."

I watch as Zander takes a step forward, noting the argument was getting a bit heated. His palm rest on Stevie's shoulder, trying to give her tranquility. Stevie shrugs it off, and concludes her quarrel.

"Ever since I say you, Kacey Simon, I knew you'd be just like the rest of them," Stevie starts. "Preppy, annoying, _fake,_ irritating, loud, self-centered-"

"And the first time I saw you, I knew you'd be nothing but a horrible human being," she glided her eyes up and down Stevie's body with revulsion.

I take a sideways glance at Zander, who appeared a bit distraught on Stevie's unexpected action, but paid a bit more courtesy in the direction of the disagreement.

"_I am not_ walking into that party unprepared." Kacey declares, "With Zander off key," she points at Zander from behind her, not even observing at him, but somehow knowing his presence.

Zander looks up, his ukulele in his hand with a, suddenly, insulted scowl.

"With Kevin _two whole_ measures off beat," she explains, nodding towards Kevin on the chair, whom was currently playing one of his newest gaming systems, in which just he just pulled out. Kevin lets the hand held gaming system plummet to his lap, as he frowns at Kacey.

"Nelson who can't even keep time," she gesticulations a hand in my direction, her stiff glare pasted to Stevie the entire period. I blink, and abruptly that affectionate, compassionate discussion earlier about Grace, through Kacey's lenient tone and extraordinary confidence modifications with revulsion. I scowl at her irritably, and then rose from the sofa.

"And with _your_ vocals sharp," Kacey concludes while pointing to Stevie in front of her. I know everyone in that room was thinking the same thing. Stevie, however, was the only one in that whole room who has the balls to say it.

"You know what," Stevie huffs out with a snort of sarcastic laughter. She waits for a moment, just looking at Kacey in amazement, "you're just like them," she puffs her breath, grabbing her bag that happened to fall once she entered. "You're just like the perfs… you haven't changed a bit," she chuckles mockingly, "I can't believe it took me _four months_ to find out how stubborn you really are. You aren't one of us, you don't even care-"

"Yes I do-" Kacey interrupted.

"You only care about yourself," she eyes Kacey up and down with a scowl. "Come on guys," Stevie peers over her shoulder at us, "let's go."

I follow. Because even though Stevie fears the urine out of me, she's like a mother to me, and I can't risk misplacing her. I watch as Kevin purposely scoffs at Kacey when they pass, on Stevie's heels as she's about to exit into the rain.

Kacey sighs wretchedly, and drops herself on the sofa, "I'm sorry." She says.

Stevie halts and I almost trip onto her, almost pushing her into the pouring rain. She turns, glaring at Kacey though her back was to her. Stevie snorts a scoff, "How does it feel?"

Kacey turns her head towards Stevie, a miserable look on her appearance. "What?" she asks quietly.

I curse myself under my breath. Because I've never seen Kacey so broken since the perfs rejected her.

"How does it feel?" she repeats, "hurting your friends?" Stevie gives me a sideways glance, nodding towards the outdoors just two steps in front of her, "come on guys," she gives one last glance at Kacey, "let's get out of here."

How to Rock

Nelson

The rain seeks down my cheek. I wipe it away, squinting my vision so I didn't contract any in my eyes. "I guess we can't go to Bobby's party now, huh?" Zander asks, shrugging. He had been sloping on Kevin's car, arms crossed over her chest.

"I'm not showing my face there," Kevin says, "when Kacey preforms, I'm not going to be there when she brings Gravity 5's name down," he scoffs, "I'd rather stay at home," he pats his now partly wet jeans, "and play my Dragon Wars."

Stevie sighs, shouting slight to be heard over the now louder rain. Standing on a Saturday morning while the rain drips on every inch of one's body, wasn't the keenest idea. "Do you really think she'll preform?"

I nod, "oh yeah. It's," I mock Kacey, jumping forward with a open smile, a hair flip, while my hands jazzed around me, "_Kacey Simon."_

Stevie cracks a smirk, "I have to admit, your Kacey impression was," she forms her hand into an 'okay' sigh, while her arms crossed over her chest, her forearm prospering her right elbow up, "on point."

I grin at her, clearing my throat confidently, "why thank you, thank you. It's just another trait I own that's brilliant." I flip my hair out my eyes.

Zander raises a brow, "imitating people?"

I glare at him, scoffing, "it's called acting."

He only rolls his eyes with a smirk, looking away. "So…" Kevin breaks the conversation, "what now? Do we go to his party or…?"

Stevie blinks, thinking for a moment. "No."

I gaze at her. "What about Justin-"

"Justin Cole doesn't come close to you guys," Stevie grins, getting on her tip toes and covering her arms around mine and Zander's shoulder, embracing us closer. "Besides," she sighs, "I'd rather hang with you all then go to a lame party anyway."

Zander grins, "you're pretty cool, you know that?" he laughs.

Stevie gasps, "Did I hear you right? _Pretty cool?"_

Zander rolls his eyes playfully, "_very _cool." He elbows her in the ribs when she released us, "and somewhat pretty." He winks, and I almost gag.

Zander, hitting on _Stevie?_ In what world?

She glares at him, her smile falls to a demise scowl. "Gross." She mutters.

"I second that gross," I pipe up.

"Third it!" Kevin chimes.

"You can't third something, it only words for two," I state, eyeing Kevin.

"Show me the rule book! Show it to me," he claims.

"Anyway," Zander interjects, "what now?"

"McDonals?" Stevie asks with a shrug.

I shrug; exchanging glances with everyone to make sure it was alright. "Sure."

**I hate this chapter.**

**One of the worst I've ever written. But I'm happy with all the friendship quantity. Hurray to friendship! **

**Thanks to my special reviewers. I love you all:**

**SoulSurferfan116: Thank you! Here is chapter 3, cheers for the comment, yeah? Side note, looking forward for an update on your Zevie fic. No rush, just looking for it in the future. Thank you, friend, again!**

**Callmecourt: you're so kind! This review makes me so happy (as do all the others) and I want to thank you for captivating the time to comment. I decided a new viewpoint could be something different, mostly because with Stevie's perspective all the time was getting fairly tough to write. I hope you don't mind, but you're my new best friend. Kay? Cool. **

**Victoria: this review made me a bit miserable… I just hope you know, those 'big words' weren't just me BS-ing what they mean, and just a heads up, if you don't like those 'big words', I advise you not to read on, for they'll stay. **

**Too cute: thank you! I love Zevie as well, and I will try to write lengthier sections with them, but It won't be right away. Thanks again!**

**LunarEclipse22428: You're welcome for the update; I thank you in return for the review and sympathetic words. Thank you, once more for being so patient. Isn't testing **_**fun**_**? Sitting in a room for four hours? It's a good thing when you've got a good book, doesn't it?**

**You'veGotAFriendInMe: Have I ever revealed I admire you're username? My mind drifts to Toy Story, I don't know if that's your objective, but I always sing the tune on every occasion I see it. Hehe. Oh, please. You're writing is impeccable, my darling. And thank you for the kind words and review. You're my new best friend as well, yes? I'm so giddy! I'm going to have so many kind friends on this archive alone.**

**Arocksprpl2: aw, shucks. I will keep going, just for you, my friend. Thank you for the eagerness, I hope I have not failed you.**

**Update: thanks anon. Here's the update! **

**XxMockingjay'sliveineveryoneXx****: no **_**you're**_** awesome! Virtuously, truthfully, tremendous, you are. Thank you for the review, friend. And, I hope your guess is right, that'd be entertaining, wouldn't it if it was Zander's? It could be anyone's, though… **

**I apologize! I'm trying to allow the story to progress next time. Don't forget to review, thank you my loves. You accurately stimulate me.**


	4. The Kiss's Tears

**I can explain my lack of updates, for now, enjoy!**

**I don't own anything.**

How to Rock

The County Fair had remained clammily cold, and all Stevie wanted at the instant was a cup of hot chocolate, a bigger coat, and Justin Cole's arms enfolded around her waist, keeping her warm.

Stevie watched as Nelson and Kevin both skipped excitedly at sighting one of the rollercoasters. Nelson gulped, while Kevin almost collapsed on sight.

"I'm riding with Nelson!" Kevin would yelp, bouncing up and down on the balls of his heels, trying to regain his excitement to a minimum, though, it wasn't working as well as he expected.

Strangely, but predictably in unison, Nelson would yell out, "I'm riding with Kevin!"

Stevie and Zander both provided comparable gazes, but chortled all the same. It was nice hanging out again, just the four of them, like it used to be. Stevie was the girl of group, Nelson was the wiz, Kevin was the comedic jokester, and Zander was the enchanter. There was no Kacey Simon stirring the whole thing up. It was something the fates did Stevie good.

Zander elbowed Stevie on her arm informally, nodding towards the ride that was dangerously moving too wildly for her fondness. His hands had been gloved and thrusts into his Brewster High, violet sweatshirt pocket, not scheduling to jerk them out anytime soon that night.

"We should follow them," he said. Witnessing his breath, making him beam, Zander sustained, "wouldn't want to report to the lost and found about two missing teenagers."

Stevie chuckles and rubbed her arms, trembling. "I guess you're right." Stevie grins, slowly proceeding towards the extended line for the petrifying ride.

But with each step, it seemed the ride appeared to develop both in speed, and in size. She hitched her breath, "on second thought," Stevie replied, turning towards a confused Zander, "I think I'd be better over here," she snickered apprehensively, directing to an empty bench alongside the line.

She sat, and grinned as an elderly woman sat the opposite side of her, bumping, what Stevie presumed, was her grandchildren.

Zander grinned at her teasingly, "are you…" dare he say it? "Scared?"

Stevie whipped her head towards him, her eyes broaden. "Scared? Me?" she hooted, "what are you on?"

Zander blinked, "If you're not scared," he took his hand out his pocket, and almost, _almost,_ regretted it as the emotionless wind gusted past him, "then get in line with me."

She scoffed and crossed her arms stubbornly over her chest, "no."

"Why not? _Scared_?" He cooed.

"Ha- ha- ha," she laughed acerbically, an unqualified expression worn.

"Well?"

She blinked, "I just… need to pee."

"Pee after."

"I'm cold, and that thing's moving _way_ too fast."

"You'll warm up."

"No, I won't."

"I'll buy you a cup of hot chocolate after."

She sighs, "Why do you want me to go on?"

"Because I don't think I've ever seen Kevin and Nelson this happy," he chuckles, running his gloved hand through his hair, "and, I'd rather go on this," he sighed and sat next to her, making sure not to bump into the elderly women on his right, "then sit here and let them ride it alone."

She sighs, "I _really_ need to pee."

"Stevie," he says, "It's only a thirty second long ride," he chuckles, "I think you'll live."

She sighs, and stands, "fine, but I want the hot chocolate with ten marshmallows, and a bendy straw."

Zander scoffed and stood, "Marshmallows are ten cents each!"

She shrugs, "I could always sit back down," as she begins to sit, he lightly clutches her forearm, preventing her to create several additional actions.

"Okay, okay. Whatever, anything you want." Zander, all the much, pleaded. His eyes searching her face for an answer.

"Well aren't you two the most adorable thing," the elderly women lastly piped up. Zander, confusingly, glanced at her, as did Stevie, with a flush that was either from embarrassment, or from the frigid cold. The women laughed to herself, "I remember when I was your age, and in love too."

"We're not," chuckled Zander anxiously, releasing her forearm, making her fall back to the bench the women was seating on with a thud.

Stevie stood and dusted herself off, glaring at Zander. She faced the woman, "yeah."

"Oh, I remember like it was yesterday," she said dreamily. "Just another school girl in love, was I not?"

Stevie simply grinned, and pulled on Zander's wrist, "thank you, but, we should get going. Nice chatting with you," Stevie waves and pulls Zander into line.

"That wasn't nice," Zander crossed his arms over chest, looking over heads to spot Nelson and Kevin.

She shrugged, "she was weird." She said bluntly.

"You're weird."

"Not crazy weird." she snorts, nodding towards the bench, but to only witness a lone bench with a family of three proceeding to sit.

"I didn't think she was crazy. I mean, we _did look_ like a couple." Zander shrugged.

She scoffed, "Don't push your luck, pretty boy."

He smriks.

How to Rock

"Zander," she huffed out breathlessly. She was partly surprised her vocal chords were on her side and doing her right, and also that she hadn't fainted yet.

Zander, completely oblivious, had been chatting with Kevin and Nelson, who had been sitting behind them on the ride that was currently waiting on two passengers who refused to sit next to each other.

Stevie gulped when the two finally resolved their differences and sat next to one another, and the ride managers were currently checking on each passengers safety, checking the seat-belt, in which Stevie presumed wasn't tight enough, and the harness that her nails appeared to be digging in.

"Zander," she breathed out again when the manger tightened her seat belt, and mutters a quick 'check' under his breath.

"No, I think we should stop to get something to eat first." Zander continued on his conversation, completely incognizant to Stevie's difficult grip on the rusted bar, that was freezing, before them, and her vocal actions.

"But I want to ride the blue one!" Kevin whined.

"Yeah, but Stevie really needs to use the restroom, and, plus it'd be nice to warm up." Zander debated.

Kevin huffed, "fine."

Zander rose a brow, "don't get pouty, we're about to ride this," he looked at a sign to his right that read: "Banana Split." Which was strangely ironic due to the fact it felt negative seventeen degrees out, and an ice cream treat did _not_ sound fun at the moment.

Kevin grinned, "Dude I heard someone _died_ on this."

However, the three boys didn't realize Stevie was on the erg of jumping out her seat at any given moment. "Zander," she hissed a bit louder. He turned towards her and grinned.

"Hey."

"I um… lied," she gulped, "I'm terrified to the point where I'm going to puke all over you," she gritted through her teeth.

Zanged smirked, "really?" he said in fake astonishment.

She smacked him on his arm. He winced and rubbed it, "Zander," she hissed once more.

"What? It's not like the ride's even started yet." He says, shrugging. She glares at him, and he grumbles something under his breath that sounded something along the lines of: 'don't get mad at me…' "Stevie," he finally sighed out, "you'll be fine." He wrapped an innocent arm around her shoulder, nestling somewhat up to her, "just relax." He demanded nonchalantly.

"I can't."

He undid her firm grip on the bar, and positioned them moderately in her lap, and serenely retorted in her ear, "relax." His murmur was so lenient thus so tough.

She shivered. How was she theoretically supposed to lessen her tension when he was adjacent to her body?

She squirmed in his presence and crushed as distantly near the ride's side, and away from him. "Erm…"

Noticing her reddened face, and uncomfortable writhe, Zander sulked, and scooted a bit left from her, "it's just a ride, Stevie." He said a tad dismally.

She huffed, "A ride that will plan my death," she mumbles.

"You could have said you were scared."

She glared at him, "And get humiliated? No thank you."

"Come on, look," he nodded towards a few kids boarding for a couple who were too alarmed to ride. "If those two kids could do it, then why can't you?"

Stevie sighed, "They're too ambitious about their deaths."

He raised a brow, "You'll be fine. It's for Kevin and Nelson, Steves. I mean, just look at them," he nods towards the two, currently in an argument with one of the ride mangers about how to start the ride sometime while _some of them_ were young. "You can't tell me they don't look like a kid on Christmas."

Stevie snorts, "They always do." Zander glared at her. She gnawed back in additional offense, and huffed, relaxing somewhat in her seat, "fine. But if I rip your hand off, and make you deaf, then I just want to say I warned you."

Zander chuckled, "As long as I get to hold your hand, then I'll be fine." Zander smirked playfully.

She blinked, "wha-?"

As if on cue, or perhaps the fates really _did _hated her, the rollercoaster beeped, and instantaneously, the coaster shot the pew onward. She didn't realize Zander had essentially been linking his fingers with her own waffle style, or the fact that her eyes had been locked, or even that she was screaming her ass off.

_I'm dead. I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm dead. And I haven't even kissed Justin Cole yet!_

When the suddenly jerky movements halted, Stevie rested her screams and opened her vision. Her chest was high in tension, and her breath seemed to be lost. "Who the hell _invented_ this?"

How to Rock

They were all silent, simply thinking.

The fattening pizza flopped on their paper plates were saturated in grease, and strangely, almost gone and entering their digestive systems. The hot chocolates heating their palms weren't nearly warm enough, but it helped.

"I'm glad we didn't go to that lame party," Kevin piped up after a moment of silence. His hot chocolate currently empty.

"You know, me to. Who needs Kacey, right?" Nelson asked, a bit watchfully.

"I'm just glad not to see Molly," Zander concludes, "I can't take her fashion lessons any longer."

"She gives you _fashion _lessons?" Kevin asks astonishingly.

Zander nods, "they're hell."

Kevin only blinks, looks down at his empty mug, and stands. "Refill time! Anybody want something while I'm up?"

"Yeah, actually can you grab me some-" began Nelson.

"What do I look like, an ATM? Get it yourself." Kevin scolds, walking away in a fake dramatic matter. They chuckled, and the silence fell back over the three.

"So…" Stevie sighs.

"So," Nelson replied clumsily.

"Guy's, I think we better call it a night," Zander pipes up, looking down at his phone and frowning.

Stevie did the same, and ignored yet another call from Kacey and Justin. As much as it pained her, she would _not_ be living the fairytale with Justin Cole that night. It would be with Nelson, Zander and Kevin. Her _real _knight in shinning armors.

"Wh-what? We can't, we still haven't even ridden the Ferris Wheel. You can't go to a fair, and not ride the Ferris Wheel, it's practically tradition!" Nelson argued.

"Fine, the Ferris Wheel, then we go home." Zander orders. He turns to Stevie, "Unless you scared?" he smirks.

She glares, "I can do the Ferris Wheel, Zander. I'm not a child." She rolls her eyes.

He raises his brows, "sure…"

How to Rock

She hated Ferris Wheels. They were high, and squeaky, and it was far too cold to be stuck at the top while couples boarded. What made it worse, was it was began _raining_. Like, full on rain. Not a downpour, but definitely not a sprinkle.

Stevie shivers, and glared at Zander, who was using his hood to protect his hair, "Oh come on! I just got my hair done!"

Stevie rolled her eyes, "Who's fabulous idea was it to come here anyway?" Stevie asked aloofly. She blinks when a drop enter her eyes, and rubs it away, cursing herself for wearing makeup.

"Mine." he states bluntly, looking forward.

The lights were beautiful. The view of the town was enchanting and awe-inspiring, and the stream of rain bucketing over it assistance the stunning view. Zander grinned to himself.

It was moments like these when life was truly going good for him. He had a friends beside him with helping hands that would rather go to the town's fair held in the back parking lot of the mall, then to attend a social infested party that would get him laid, Nelson a girlfriend with the beautiful Grace, Kevin a laugh out of a couple of chicks, and Stevie would get what she always wanted:

Justin Cole.

"It was dumb." Stevie said icily, her jawbone quivering. If he hadn't known better, it viewed as if she were _crying_. Her cheekbones were a fading rosy pink, dews cascaded her face, her jaw quivered, and she seemed generally miserable.

_It's just the weather. She's just… cold._

"_You_ came." He nudged her arm slightly, blocking the top of his head with his hoody and his hands.

"You all came to my house, and forced me to go," Stevie explains matter-of-factly. Her voice stronger, before breaking again.

"You could have said no." he said nonchalantly, grinning at her sudden interest in the conversation.

"I did!" she was a tad livid currently, but her minor chuckle underneath her voice made him contented.

"So, would you rather had gone to the party?" he raises a brow at her.

She blinked, "no."

"Not even with Justin Cole? I'm sure he would have made the moves on you tonight."

She sighed, "don't remind me. I got at least ten calls from him alone."

"So, what's the problem? You have him right where you want him, right? I mean," he shrugged, "he finally likes you. That's good?" He more asked than told.

"But… yeah. I know I should be happy, but," she looks away when they begin moving again, "I feel like he's not completely into me that way." she shrugs.

"Like what?"

"Like, in a relationship type," she blushes. Never would she depiction herself having this conversation with him. "I don't know."

"You really like him, don't you?" he asks, frowning.

She glances at him and grins, "Yeah..."

**Drama's coming up everyone. **

**I think.**

**Possibly.**

**Anywho, I want to apologize about my lack of updates. I blame part of it on my damn Microsoft Word crashing, (I still need to get it fixed, but I'm scared if I do, they'll completely wipe out my saved stories I was going to update for later chapters) and myself for not completely keeping up with this story. I've been getting pretty lazy about it, to be honest. **

**I need to thank all my feedback: whether it's comments, adding my story to favorites, story alerts, myself as your favorites, myself to your alerts, or messaging me privately in a PM. I can't express how much you all inspire me to continue. **

**I'll try and update as fast as I can, I'm still getting used to this new Text Document, so I apologize if it's not my best chapter. Good news, though: school's OVER! (about time, right? I've been out for six days now.) So, updates should be going good. I don't plan on leaving my bed, the couch, or my desk anytime soon. Bad news: not sure when my Microsoft will get fixed, but hopefully soon. **

**I'll try and update later today. Thanks to the patience, readers. And don't forget to give some love to the review button. **


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